Article transfer mechanism



9 1950 w. E. HEISE 2,509,565

ARTICLE TRANSFER MECHANISM Filed Nov. 9, 1948 4 Shee'ts-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

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M1224 E. liaise May 30, 1950 w. E. HEISE ARTICLE TRANSFER MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 9, 1943 May 30, 1950 w. E. HEISE ARTICLE TRANSFER MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 9, 1948 3W, 5 H IS 2,509,565

ARTICLE TRANSFER MECHANISM Filed Nov. 9, 1948 4 Sheets-$heefi 4 Patented May 30, 1950 UNITED STATES OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for freezing confections, and has for its object a motion transmitting mechanism between a prime mover and a carrier by which moulds containing a fluid confection are lowered into the freezing chamber at the receiving end of the machine, and between the prime mover and a feed or pusher element which moves the moulds intermittently from the carrier through the freezing chamber to a discharge station with one mould abutting against a preceding mould that has been lowered by the carrier into the freezing chamber, which mechanism comprises a differential gearing actuated by the prime mover and including motion transmitting connections between the shafts of the side gears of the differential and the carrier and the pusher respectively. As is well known, one of the characteristics of a differential gearing is that if one of the side gears is restrained, or stopped, the motion is transferred to the other side gear and hence, when the pusher is restrained from movement, the carrier will be actuated, and when the movement of the carrier is stopped, the pusher will be actuated.

In the mechanism of this invention, the pusher remains idle when the operating lever is operated to set the mechanism in motion, because the weight of the carrier and moulds thereon tends to cause the carrier to lower by gravity into the pressing chamber and hence, the path of least resistance is through the side gear of the differential controlling the raising and lowering of the carrier. The pusher may be restrained by the carrier when the carrier is in its upper position. When the carrier carries the moulds fully into the freezing chamber, the carrier is restrained from further movement and hence, the pusher is actuated from the other side gear of the differential to push the moulds from the carrier through the freezing chamber. Preferably, in this machine means are provided for timing and controlling the operations of the pusher and the carrier from the side gears of the differential gearing.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly broken away.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 33, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view, partly broken away, on line 2-4, Figure 2.

Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are fragmentary detail views of mechanism shown in Figure 4 on lines 5-5, 6-6, 1-1 and 8-8.

Fig. 9 is an elevation, partly in section, of the control valve mechanism for the prime mover.

Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional view on line lBI0, Figure 1.

This machine for freezing confections comprises generally a freezing chamber I, a carrier 2 shiftable vertically to carry moulds 3, which contain a fluid confection to be frozen, into the freezing chamber at a receiving station, or end of the machine, a feed or pusher mechanism including a push bar 5 for pushing the moulds horizontally off the carrier, when the carrier is in lowered position, through the freezin chamber to a discharge station, or end of the machine, the moulds on the carrier abutting against moulds previously shifted off the carrier so that a series of moulds are progressed intermittently through the freezing chamber, each mould abutting or pushing against the preceding mould, and actuating mechanism for alternately actuating and timing the actuation of the carrier and the pusher, which mechanism includes a diiferential gearing.

The freezing chamber I is usually a brine tank having tracks 4 along which the moulds are pushed after being pushed off the carrier. These tracks may incline upward at the discharge end of the machine so that the moulds, with the frozen confection therein, are lifted out of the freezing chamber at the discharge end of the machine by the progressing action of the moulds.

The carriage 2 comprises transversely spaced frame plates 5, here shown as angular in elevation and each having lower horizontal arms 1! between which bottom plate 8 is mounted. The frame plates divide the carrier into compartments, in each of which a mould may be placed. The moulds 3 rest on the bottom plate 8. The carrier 2 is supported by sets of parallel levers 9, [0, the levers 9, [0, of each set being arranged one above the other. Each lever B is pivoted at its front end at H! to an upper arm of the carrier frame plate, and at its rear end at l3 to a supporting bracket 2A on the frame of the machine. Each lever l (I is pivoted at the front end at M to a horizontal arm of the carrier 2, and at its rear end at IE to the supporting bracket. This arrangement is such that the carrier operates to lower the moulds vertically by gravity rectilinearly into the freezing chamber when the operating lever is actuated to start the machine in motion. The angular shape of the plates 6 is such that the push bar moves horizontally over the bottom of the carrier and pushes the moulds off the carrier, when the carrier is in its lower position. The angular formation forms horizontal slots in which the push bar moves durin its sweep over the bottom 8 of the carrier.

The pusher comprises the transverse horizontally movable bar 5 mounted at its ends in brackets I6 which depend into the tank i from slides ll movable in guide channels 58 in rails I9 extending lengthwise of the top edges of the tank I, Figure 3. The push bar 5 is arranged to push against the front ends of the moulds on the carrier, and are located at a level to push against the same when the carrier is in lowered position. The push bar 5 may be obstructed from movement by the moulds on the carrier when the carrier is in elevated position. The moulds 3 are provided with handles 2d at their front and rear ends. The handles 28 act as buffers coacting with abutments 2! on the bracket 2A to locate and aline the moulds when placed on the elevated carriage. Also, the handles act as buifers to engage those of the preceding moulds when the moulds are being pushed off the carriage 5 and along the tracks 4. The prime mover is here shown as a cylinder and piston motor.

25, Figures 1 and 2, designates the cylinder, and 26 the rod of the piston movable in the cylinder, the piston rod being a reciprocating actuator. It is shown as connected at 2?! to a reciprcating rack 28 extending lengthwise of the frame member 3 at one side of the tank i and serves as a transmitting element to transfer the motion to a differential gearing.

29 designates the differential gearing. This includes a casing 30. side gears 3i and 32, Figure 4, mounted on shafts 33 and 355 respectively, journalled in the hubs of the casing, and difierential pinions 35 within the casing and meshing with the side gears. The casing 31) is provided with a gear 36 on one of its hubs which meshes with the rack 28 to receive motion therefrom. The carriage 2 is actuated from the shaft of the side gear 32 and as here illustrated the shaft 34 is provided with a pulley 3'! from which motion is transmitted to the carrier '2, as by a belt or chain 38 runningover the pulley 3'! and over a pulley 39 mounted on a transverse shaft 38A journalled in the bracket 2A., and the cables or chains 48 winding on pulleys 386 on the shaft 38A and anchored at like ends to pulleys 398, and passing overridler pulleys 4! also carried by a shaft MA mounted in the bracket 2A, the chain being secured at its other end at 42 to the carriage, or to a transverse rod 2B extending through the upper arms of the frame plates of the carriage 2. The pulleys 3'! and 39 and chains 38 are triple as thechains available are comparatively small ones used in place of one large chain.

The motion of the differential is transferred to the pusher to actuate it through a pair of racks 43 movable in the guide slots l8 and connected to the slides H, from which the pusher 5 is suspended. The racks 43 are actuated from the side gear 3! of the differential, through a gear 44, Figures 4, 5 and 6, mounted on the shaft 33 of the side gear 3| and meshing with an intermediary gear 45 which meshes with a gear 46 which, in turn, meshes with the rack There are two gears 46 mounted on opposite ends of with racks 43 on opposite sides of the freezing chamber.

The outer end of the shaft 33 of the side gear 35 is journalled in a bearing plate 48, Figures 1, 2 and 4, mounted on the rail 53. The shaft 554 is journalled in a lengthwise support or rail 49 suitably supported on top cross framing bars between the rails 9. The intermediate gear as and gear 46 are mounted respectively on a stud mounted in the bearing plate 48 and on the shaft 3? which is journalled at one end in the plate 48 and at its other end in a bearing on the other rail 59.

In the general operation, when the piston moves to the right and thus rotates the differential housing 38 in one direction, the pusher bar 5 is idle, or may be restrained by the carrier when the carrier is in elevated position. Thus, the motion is transferred through. the side gear 32 to rotate its shaft 34 in one direction. This movement tends to rotate the differential side gear 3! in the opposite direction, but the racks 43 remain stationary, and rotary movement of the shaft 34 is transferred through the chain 38 and the chain 4% to the carrier '2, as this is the path of least resistance and because the carrier tends to drop by gravity into the freezing chamber. When it reaches the bottom of the freezing chamber, the side gear 32 of the differential is stopped and at the same time the side gear 3! is free because the moulds have cleared the pusher 5, permitting the bar 5 thereof to move and push the moulds off the carrier through the freezing chamber. However, precautionary provisions are made to stop the rotation of the shaft 34 of the side gear 32 after predetermined intervals, as will be presently described.

As here illustrated, this means comprises a nut element 50, Figure 4, on the shaft 34 and held from turning movement by an arm 5i anchored at 52 to a cross bar, this being conveniently the shaft 4'! connecting the gears 45. As the shaft 34 rotates, the nut is shifted axially to the left to move a tooth 53 thereon into posi tion where it will engage a shoulder 54 on a collar 55 keyed to the shaft 34. The collar also coasts with a latch 50, as will be presently described. A precaution is also provided against movement of the carriage 2 while the pusher is in anintenmediate position in its travel, or is obstructed in its travel as, for instance, by being frozen from feeding movement, or is not in starting position.

This means consists of the spring pressed latch 66 in the form of an angle lever pivoted at its angle at fil to the bracket 2A and normally pulled into engagement with a stop shoulder 62 on the collar 55 to prevent retrograde movement of the shaft 34, the latch being normally arranged in as the movement to the right. However, when one of the racks 43, which actuates the push bar,

approaches the limit of its movement to the left, at which time the push bar 5 is approaching starting position, a pin 66 on the rack encounters an arm 6'! of the latch 60 and trips the latch 60 out of its operative position into the position shown in Figures 2 and 7.

The control for the motive fluid, which is air, will now be described. 7

in, Figures 1, 2 and 9,.designatesa control valve, this being of any suitable type and including a casing having an intake at H for a motive fluid, as compressed air, and outlet ports l2, l3, and. an exhaust port 14. The valve further includes a movable valve member having transfer passages 15, 16, the latter being an exhaust passage. In the position shown in Figure 9, the parts are in the position in which the cylinder can exhaust through a pipe to the left end of the cylinder through the transfer passage 16 and exhaust port 14'. The valve member is operated by a handle t2 connected by a link 83, through an overthe-center spring snap valve mechanism st, to the valve member, the link 83 being connected to a radial arm 85 on the valve member, When the handle 32 is moved to its dotted line position, Figure 9, air will enter through the inlet port ll, transfer passage 15, which now communicating with the pipe 8i), through the pipe St, to the left end of the cy1in der, so that the piston travels to the right from the position shown in Figures 1 and 2. During this movement, air exhausts from the right end of the cylinder, through pipe 99, valve mechanism designated generally 9i, pipe 5 2, through port it and transfer passage it, to exhaust port 14. During this operation, the carriage 2 is being lowered into the freezing chamber and in order to prevent it from lowering too fast and hence, to avoid the splashing of brine into the moulds, the exhaust from the pipe 90 is past a restraining orifice or needle valve 93, Figure 10, and after the piston rod has been actuated a predetermined distance to the right suffioient to fully lower the carrier 2 into thefreezing chamber, a cam 95, operated by the piston rod, engages the stem 96 of a spring closed valve 9? which bypasses the needle valve and hence, opens the valve 91 fully, so that the exhaust now by-passes the needle valve and passes out without restraint. The cam 95, Figure 1D, is here shown as mounted to rock on a stud 33 fixed to a bracket 99 on the casing of the valve 9!, and as operated by a shoulder or lug Mil on the piston rod located to engage one radial arm it! of a fork M2 on the stud 93 and rockable as a unit with the cam 95 when the piston has traveled part way in its movement to the right and thus fully open the exhaust valve Bl during the remainder of the stroke to the right, and to engage the other arm m3 of the fox: and allow the exhaust valve 91 to close during the power stroke of the piston rod to the left. When the piston is being actuated to the left, the air enters the cylinder through pipe 92, valve M, and pipe Bil, and the valve 91 is opened (when closed) by the air pressure through the pipe 92. The cam 95 is located with respect the stroke of the piston rod, so that the exhaust valve 97 is closed only while the carrier 2 is lowering the moulds into the freezing chamber and the pusher 5 initially pushing to move the trays off the carrier and take up the space between the trays on the carrier and the trays previously pushed off the carrier.

At the end. of the movement of the piston to the right, a pin or shoulder EM, Figure 1, on one of the brackets l6 carrying the pusher 5 engages the arm 25, Figure 9, of the valve operating mechanism and shifts the valve and its handle 82 from dotted line to full line or starting position.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine for freezing confections comprising a freezing chamber through which moulds containing confections to be frozen are passed horizontally from a receiving station to a discharge station, a carriage at the receiving station shiftable vertically for lowering moulds with fluid confection therein into the freezing chamber, a horizontally movable pusher at the receiving station and located to push against the moulds and move them horizontally oil the carriage when the latter is in its lowered position and push the moulds against the preceding moulds pushed from the carriage, and actuating mechanism comprising a reciprocating prime mover, and motion transmitting means: operable thereby to alternately operate the carrier and the pusher comprising a differential gearing which comprises a rotatable casing, side gears mounted on shafts journalled in the casing and differential gears in the casing and meshing with the side gears, motion transmitting connections between the prime mover and the casing to rotate the latter, motion transmitting connections between the shaft of one side gear and the carriage, and motion transmitting connections between the shaft of the other side gear and the pusher.

2. In a machine for freezing confections comprising a freezing chamber through which moulds containing confections to be frozen are passed horizontally from a receiving station to a discharge station, a carriage at the receiving station shiftable vertically for lowering moulds with fluid confection therein into the freezing cham-- ber, a horizontally movable pusher at the receiving station and located to push against the moulds and move them horizontally off the carriage when the latter is in its lowered position and push the moulds against the preceding moulds pushed from the carriage, and actuating mechanism comprising a reciprocating prime mover, and motion transmitting means operable thereby to alternately operate the carrier and the pusher comprising a differential gearing which comprises a rotatable casing, side gears mounted on shafts journalled in the casing and difierential gears in the casing and meshing with the side gears, a gear mounted on the casing, a rack connected to the prime mover to be reciprocated thereby and meshing with the gear on the casing, and motion transmitting connections between the shafts of the side gears of the differential gearing and the carriage and the pusher respectively.

3. In a machine for freezing confections comprising a freezing chamber through which moulds containing confections to be frozen are passed horizontally from a receiving station to a discharge station, a carriage at the receiving station shiftable vertically for lowering moulds with fluid confection therein into the freezing chamer, a horizontally movable pusher at the receiving station and located to push against the moulds and move them horizontally off the car riage when the latter is in its lowered position and push the moulds against the preceding moulds pushed from the carriage, and actuating mechanism comprising a reciprocating prime mover, and motion transmitting means operable thereb to alternately operate the carrier and the pusher comprising a differential gearing which comprises a rotatable casing, side gears mounted on shafts journalled in the casing and diiferential gears in the casing and meshing with the side gears, a gear mounted on the casing, a rack connected to the prime mover to be reciprocated thereby and meshing with the gear on the casing, a second rack connected to the pusher, motion transmitting connections between one of the side gear shafts and the carriage, and gearing between the other side gear shaft and the second. rack.

4. In a machine for freezing confections comprising a freezing chamber through which moulds containing confections to be frozen are passed horizontally from a receiving station to a discharge station, a carriage at the receiving station shiftable vertically for lowering moulds with fluid confection therein into the freezing chamber, a horizontally movable pusher at the receiving station and located to push against the moulds and move them horizontally off the carriage when the latter is in its lowered position and push the moulds against the preceding moulds pushed from the carriage, a cylinder and piston motor, motion transmitting means operated by the piston rod of the motor to alternately operate the carrier and the pusher comprising a differential gearing which comprises a rotatable casing, side gears mounted on shafts journalled in the casing and differential gears in the casing and meshing with the side gears, motion transmitting connections between the piston rod and the casing to rotate the latter, motion transmitting connections between the shaft of one side gear and-the carriage, motion transmitting connections between the shaft and the other side gear of the carriage, and reversing valve means operable to control the flow of motive fluid to and from opposite ends of the cylinder.

5. In a machine for freezing confections comprising a freezing chamber through which moulds containing confections to be frozen are passed horizontally from a receiving station to a discharge station, a carriage at the receiving station shiftable vertically for lowering moulds with fluid confection therein into the freezing chamher, a horizontally movable pusher at the receiving station and located to push against the moulds and move them horizontally off the car riage when the latter is in its lowered position and push the moulds against the preceding moulds pushed from the carriage, and actuating mechanism comprising a reciprocating prime mover, and motion transmitting means operable thereb to alternately operate the carrier and the pusher comprising a differential gearing which comprises a rotatable casing, side gears mounted on shafts journalled in the casing and differential gears in the casing and meshing with the side gears, motion transmitting connections between the prime mover and the casing to rotate the latter, motion transmitting connections between the shaft of one side gear and the carriage, motion transmitting connections between the shaft of the other side gear and the pusher, and means operated by the rotation of the shaft of one side gear to stop the rotation of the shaft and its side gear when rotated a predetermined distance, whereby the rotary motion of the casing is transferred to the other side gear.

6. In a machine for freezing confections comprising a freezing chamber through which moulds containing confections to be frozen are passed horizontally from a receiving station to a discharge station, a carriage at the receiving station shiftable vertically for lowering moulds with fluid confection therein into the freezing chamber, a horizontally movable pusher at the receiving station and located to push against the moulds and move them horizontally off the carriage when the latter is in its lowered position and push the moulds against the preceding moulds pushed from the carriage, and actuating mechanism comprising a reciprocating prime mover, and motion transmitting means operable thereby to alternately operate the carrier and the pusher comprising a differential gearing which comprises a rotatable casing, side gears mounted on shafts journalled in the casing and differential gears in the casing and, meshing with the side gears, motion transmitting connections between the prime mover and the casing to rotate the latter, motion transmitting connections between the shaft of one side gear and the carriage, motion transmitting connections between the shaft of the other side gear and the pusher, a latch coacting with the motion transmitting connec tions to the carrier to hold the carrier from return movement out of its lower position, and trip for the latch on the motion transmitting connections to the pusher located to trip the latch when the pusher reaches starting position.

'7. In a machine for freezing confections comprising a freezing chamber through which moulds containing confections to be frozen are passed horizontally from a receiving station to a discharge station, a carriage at the receiving station shiftable vertically for lowering moulds with fluid confection therein into the freezing chamber, a horizontally movable pusher at the receiving station and located to push against the moulds and move them horizontally off the carriage when the latter is in its lowered position and push the moulds against the preceding moulds pushed from the carriage, and actuating mechanism comprising a reciprocating prime mover, and motion transmitting means operable thereby to alternately operate the carrier and the pusher comprising a differential gearing which comprises a rotatable casing, side gears mounted on shafts journalled in the casing and differential gears in the casing and meshing with the side gears, motion transmitting connections between the prime mover and the casing to rotate the latter, motion transmitting connections between the shaft of one side gear and the carriage, mo tion transmitting connections between the shaft of the other side gear and the pusher, stop means coacting with the shaft of the side gear which actuates the motion transmitting connections to the carriage to hold it from rotation when the other side gear is actuating the pusher and means operated by the motion transmitting connections from said other side gear to the pusher to release the stop means when the pusher reaches starting position.

WALTER E. HEISE.

No references cited. 

